Taiwanese police capture escaped inmate in Miaoli after six days

台灣警方在六天後於苗栗逮捕逃犯

The inmate, Hsu Ya-lun, fled a minimum-security prison in Hualien on Aug 22


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On Sunday morning (Aug. 28), police officers in Miaoli successfully apprehended an escaped inmate who was on the run after fleeing a prison in Hualien on Aug. 22.

The inmate, 29 year-old Hsu Ya-lun (許亞倫), failed to report to Hualien Zihciang Minimum-Security Prison (花蓮自強外役監) on Aug. 22 after leaving for a family visit. Six days after his flight, Hsu was apprehended by officers in Miaoli and transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s office to be processed.

Police in Miaoli were alerted by authorities in Hualien that Hsu would likely seek the assistance of friends in Miaoli. Local officers began looking for Hsu and located his vehicle in an urban part of Zhunan City on Saturday (Aug. 27), before making the arrest in the early hours of Sunday (Aug. 28), reports UDN.

The Hualien District Prosecutor’s Office announced on Aug. 25 that Hsu was being sought after he failed to report back after a family visit. The news drew national media attention because his escape occurred on the same day (Aug. 22) that a convict who fled a minimum-security prison in Tainan attacked and killed two police officers in the line of duty.

Following the death of the officers, President Tsai called for an immediate review of police protocol and operations at the country’s minimum-security prisons.

In the announcement from the Hualien District Prosecutor’s Office, a second escaped inmate was also identified as 25 year-old Kang Yu-hao (康育豪). Kang, however, has been a fugitive since March 21 of this year, after leaving Zihciang Minimum-Security Prison to visit family members in Yilan.

Kang is still in hiding and is actively sought by the authorities.